What to Consider When House Hunting

Whether you are looking for a new home and a second home there is a lot you need to take into consideration when shopping around for new real estate. You want to find the perfect location and space for you and your family, with everything you need and want in a home. Your needs and wants may differ depending on if you are looking for a home or a second home, but how you search will probably be the same.

At Shore Homes Shirvanian Realty, we can help you find the perfect home for you and your family that matches your wants and needs the most! We work with homes in the Rumson, Fair Haven, Red Bank, Little Silver, Long Branch Monmouth Beach, and Sea Bright areas, allowing you to pick a home in your perfect location as well.

When it comes to looking for a home there are many things to consider, from the size of the home and location, to the special features it has. In this blog, we are going to go over different aspects of the home that you need to consider when shopping around, some may be obvious, but this is just a friendly reminder!

Number of Rooms

While this may seem obvious, you have to think about the purpose of the home when considering the number of rooms. If you are looking for a new home, the number of rooms will likely be the number of people in your family. But you also have to think about other factors, like will your parents be staying with your often? Or maybe your brother and his family will be staying with you each summer for a few weeks. If this is the case, you may want an additional room or two to accommodate for your guests.

But what if you are buying a second home, for vacations and staying during the summer? Many families invest in a vacation home with extended family, maybe you and your two brothers and your families are going to get a vacation home that you can all enjoy and use. You have to take a few things into consideration if this is the case. First, is your family and the other families going to be staying at the vacation home at the same time regularly, or each family use this property individually? Second, will the rooms be big enough to put multiple beds in them? These questions can help you determine the number of rooms you need. If you are all planning on going to the vacation home together, having more rooms may be better, but putting multiple beds in the kids rooms can also allow everyone to have a bed but not their own room. Getting an individual room for everyone is probably unrealistic and extremely pricey, but there are homes with more rooms than the average home. So, think carefully about how you are going to use the vacation home before committing to a number of rooms.

Location

Location is also a big factor when finding the right house. If you are looking for a new home, you want to be sure that you love the location and the area. You want to ensure you like the neighbors and that you have everything you need close by. If you are going to be commuting to New York, you will want to be sure that you are close to the bus station, ferry, or that your drive is a straight shot, you don’t want add even more driving time to your already long commute. Finding a home close to your kid’s school can also be an important factor to some families. Or perhaps you are moving to this area to be closer to the beach or the river. If this is the case, make sure you take a look at house close to the ocean or river, you can use the map search to find the perfect locations.

But if your home is going to be used as a vacation home, the location you are looking for may differ completely. You may want a home that is on a large plot of land, giving you space between any neighbors and a little privacy. Or maybe privacy doesn’t matter to you, since you figure you will not even be home during your vacations, maybe you just want a home on the beach so you can spend your days reading in the sand. You may want a home that has its own dock for you sail boat. You may want to be closer to shopping centers. Or maybe you just care about a place that is a little more secluded. The location you want for you vacation home may be completely different that you want for your actual home.

Additional Features

While the purpose of the home, the number of rooms, and the location are all important when house hunting, there are other factors to consider that may add some value to a home. Obviously, you don’t want to just buy a home based off of the number of rooms and location, it may not have anything else you want or need, but what are other things you should look for? Keep reading for some tips and ideas!

Extra Rooms

We are not talking about bedrooms, we are talking about additional rooms in the house that you may need, but may not be considering as you continue your house search. You or your spouse may need an office, especially if they work from home. Finding a house with an office can help make the home work better for your family and will keep you from sacrificing a bedroom for the office.

Or maybe you have young kids and want a home with a playroom and a big backyard. Having an additional room, a loft, or a large basement can make all the difference in your home. Your children can have a designated space to play without making a mess around the entire home. A big backyard, while it is not an extra room, can also be important when you have kids or dogs, and should be another thing to take into consideration.

The kitchen is another important room in the house. The kitchen is the heart of the home, and if you cook, that is even more true. Making sure you like the kitchen and that it has everything you need can help you find the right home for you. But every home comes with a kitchen, so let’s move on.

A personal gym may be something you really want in your home. While it is easy to create your own personal gym, finding a home with a room that was designed for this purpose can make it easier and help you choose one home over another.

Other Features

There are many features that are not needed but may be wanted be you and your family. Many of the homes that get listed on our site include pools, which could be something that your family is looking for in a home. Or maybe a home with a wine cellar catches your eye. A garden, a wraparound porch, and even a large garage can be game changers when you are looking at different houses. Buying a new home is a big decision and you want to think about everything you use your home for and what you may need in your new home.

At Shore Homes Shirvanian Realty, we can help you find your perfect home in the perfect location. Start your home search by using our property search tool and contact us today to get started on finding your dream home or the perfect second home for you and your family. Remember to keep all of these things in mind when searching for a home, you want to find a home that has everything you need.